Subtitles and Transcript

Candy Chang

0:11
There are a lot of ways the people around uscan help improve our lives.We don't bump into every neighbor,so a lot of wisdom never gets passed on,though we do share the same public spaces.

0:24
So over the past few years, I've tried ways to share morewith my neighbors in public space,using simple tools like stickers, stencils and chalk.And these projects came from questions I had, like,how much are my neighbors paying for their apartments?(Laughter) How can we lend and borrow more thingswithout knocking on each other's doors at a bad time?How can we share more of our memoriesof our abandoned buildings,and gain a better understanding of our landscape?And how can we share more of our hopesfor our vacant storefronts, so our communitiescan reflect our needs and dreams today?

1:05
Now, I live in New Orleans,and I am in love with New Orleans.My soul is always soothed by the giant live oak trees,shading lovers, drunks and dreamersfor hundreds of years, and I trust a citythat always makes way for music. (Laughter)I feel like every time someone sneezes,New Orleans has a parade. (Laughter)The city has some of the most beautiful architecturein the world, but it also has one of the highest amountsof abandoned properties in America.

1:34
I live near this house, and I thought about how I couldmake it a nicer space for my neighborhood,and I also thought about somethingthat changed my life forever.

1:47
In 2009, I lost someone I loved very much.Her name was Joan, and she was a mother to me,and her death was sudden and unexpected.And I thought about death a lot,andthis made me feel deep gratitude for the time I've had,andbrought clarity to the things that are meaningfulto my life now.But I struggle to maintain this perspective in my daily life.I feel like it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day,and forget what really matters to you.

2:35
So with help from old and new friends,I turned the side of this abandoned houseinto a giant chalkboard and stenciled itwith a fill-in-the-blank sentence:"Before I die, I want to ... "So anyone walking by can pick up a piece of chalk,reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirationsin public space.

2:57
I didn't know what to expect from this experiment,but by the next day, the wall was entirely filled out,and it kept growing.And I'd like to share a few thingsthat people wrote on this wall.

3:12
"Before I die, I want to be tried for piracy." (Laughter)"Before I die, I want to straddle the International Date Line.""Before I die, I want to sing for millions.""Before I die, I want to plant a tree.""Before I die, I want to live off the grid.""Before I die, I want to hold her one more time.""Before I die, I want to be someone's cavalry.""Before I die, I want to be completely myself."

4:04
So this neglected space became a constructive one,and people's hopes and dreamsmade me laugh out loud, tear up,and they consoled me during my own tough times.It's about knowing you're not alone.It's about understanding our neighborsin new and enlightening ways.It's about making space for reflection and contemplation,and remembering what really matters most to usas we grow and change.

4:32
I made this last year, and started receivinghundreds of messages from passionate peoplewho wanted to make a wall with their community,so my civic center colleagues and I made a tool kit, and nowwalls have been made in countries around the world,including Kazakhstan, South Africa,Australia,Argentina and beyond.Together, we've shown how powerful our public spacescan be if we're given the opportunity to have a voiceand share more with one another.

5:08
Two of the most valuable things we have are timeand our relationships with other people.In our age of increasing distractions,it's more important than ever to find ways to maintainperspective and remember that life is brief and tender.Death is something that we're often discouragedto talk about or even think about, butI've realized that preparing for deathis one of the most empowering things you can do.Thinking about death clarifies your life.

5:40
Our shared spaces can better reflect what matters to usas individuals and as a community,and with more ways to share our hopes, fears and stories,the people around us can not only help usmake better places, they can help us lead better lives.Thank you. (Applause)